Due to the recent increase of transmission data, a high-speed and high-capacity transmission signal has been developed in the synchronous optical network (SONET) and the synchronous digital hierarchy (SDH). For example, time divisional processing and a virtual switch are under consideration as architecture for high-capacity data transmission (see, for example, Japanese Laid-Open Patent Publication No. 2008-306482). The architecture is applied to, for example, the multi service provisioning platform (MSPP).
In the conventional technology described above, however, lines cannot be arbitrarily switched if multiple switch fabric units for line switching are used since inputs to/outputs from the switch fabric units are independent from each other.